Method of generating formaldehyde gas.



H. ANHALTZER.

METHOD OF GENERATING FORMALDEHYDE GAS.

APPLIC ATION FILED JUNE12, I914.

Patented July 18, 1916.

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WITNESSES of soot. The sootabsorbs a large percentage UNITED STATES OFFICEQ I THENRY ANnAL'rznn, or rrr'rs'ncnen, PENNSYLVANIA.

mn'rnon or GENERATING ronmatnnnrnn ens.

Application filed June 12, 1914. Serial No. 844,694..

To all whom it may concern: necessary and the use of anaked lamp is Be it known that I, HENRY ANHALTZER, a avoided. citizen of the United States, and resident of Another object of the invention is to pro- Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and vide a mixture of chemicals with formalde- 5 State of. Pennsylvania, have invented cerhyde by which the formaldehyde in the comtain new and useful Improvements in Methpound is volatilized and diiiused'as formalods of Generating Formaldehyde Gas, of dehy'de gas by the reaction set up in the which the following is a specification. mixture.

My invention has relation to disinfecting, Still further objects of my invention will fumigating and d'eodorizing by means of become apparent as the invention is more formaldehyde and more particularly by fully described hereinafter and is particumeans of formaldehyde gas. larly pointed out in the-appended claims.

Heretofore it has been the practice to use Referring now to the drawings forming formaldehyde both in its solid form and in part of this specification, Figure 1 is a sec-- solution for the purpose of disinfecting and tionalelevation of a container filled with Ffu'm'i'gating. It is necessary'to heat formalmy improved formaldehyde compound and ,dehyde in its solid form to generate and forming'a package, with the chemicals arliberate the formaldehyde gas and in the ranged therein for use in accordance with Patente'd' July18,1916.

20 plied by burning a fuel, a common ex dient similar to that in Fig. 1,'showing the conexistent methods the heat necessaryasvllri/lny lnvention. Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation being to employ paraifin wax and a ainer with its. cover removed and the packwhich is lighted and forms a lamp or burner,

age in readiness for use, in vaporizing the the heat evolved being transmitted tothe formaldehyde compound therein. Fig. 3 is a '1 solid formaldehyde through the walls of a sectional plan, on the line III-I II of Fig.

25 metal container inwhich the formaldehyde 1, showing the construction of the foramiis placed, this container being positioned nous and permeable disks used in providing above the burning wick. When a solution the diaphragm separating the chemicals emof formaldehyde and water is used and is ployed in causing the reaction to provide treated with potassium permanganate to disthe heat necessary to. volatilize the formalso sociate the formaldehyde, the gas evolved is dehyde inmy improved compound. .Fig. 4 not formaldehyde in a gaseous form but is is adetail sectional elevation showing a formic acid as is shown by the following modification in the construction of the con equation: tainer.

2OH,0-l-2KM11O4=2CH=O=-l-KzMn04+MnO=.

35 (2Formaldehyde+2 Potassium permanganate=2Formic acid+ meral 2 deslgnfi'tes or t n h -Potassium,mwganatfimngwese formed of a sultable mater1al,'and conven Such crude methods of using formaldeienitly end'cheaP1y'f0rmed 0f n p The v bottom of the container is filled'with a mixh d t t 'f ldeh de 's necessiy e O genera e Orma ga ture 3 ofpowderedformaldehyde (CI-I 0) tate the use of complicate and ex'pens e apparatus or are ineffective and costly. The and Potassium Persulfate 2 2Osl use of a paratfin lamp or candle or other diam Persulfate 2S2 s)- n preparing In the accompanymg drawings, the

means f supplying the t l h t this mixture I preferablyustthe following proportions by weight:

Parts.

essary to gasify the solid formaldehyde duces a large amount of carbon 1n the l hy (Filverizedxqnngu of the'heat generated and thereby prevents g 1 1 1 a ir' 2 38 the complete liberation of the formaldehyde -'"f""'f- .-.----T v gas, wh1le the flame of the openburner or- On top of th s'layerof the mixture of lamp, which is always employed, "creates the "formaldehyde and potassium persulfate or ever. present danger of fire. i

One object of my inventlon is to prov de erably formed of metal s placed, the a compound of improved composition whlch rlphery of this disk resting .upon the in. is adapted for use in evolving formaldehyde turned head 5 whlch 1s provided for that gas in disinfecting and fumigating or de purpose 1n the sldewall of the container, 2. 5 odorizing, in which the necessity of using Instead of us1ngaflat d1sk4, a box 4 havexternal heat is overcome and rendered uning side .wallsand having a foraminous botsodium persulfate, a foraminous disk 4 preftom, like .the box 4 for a purpose to be explained later. The

flanged lid or cover 8 of the container is then put'in place, the top 9 of this lid being indented or dished so that its inner surface will project into the box or container 2 into 1 close contact with the sodium or potassium hydroxid forming the top layer of chemicals in the compound and hold the mixture or compound in place therein.

When packaged as has been described,

' with the flange 10 of the lid 8 in tight frictional engagement with the side of the box or container 2, my improved compoundfis in readiness for use and also can be shipped and stored for an indefinite time, until required for use in disinfecting, fumigating or deodorizing buildings, rooms,clothing or other articles or localities. J

When it is desired to use a package of my improved compound, the lid 9 is removed from the box 2. A quantity 11 of water, two parts or more by weight, is then poured into the container so as to cover the sodium or potassium hydroxid, this being made possible by the height of the side of the box above the level of the top surface of the layer of hydroxid.

After the water is poured on top of the contents of the box or container 2, 'it percolates through and dissolves the sodium hydroxid 7, and the so formed solution after passing through the disk 6 of paper or fabric and the apertures or holes in the foraminous disk 4; comes into contact with the mixture 3 of formaldehyde and potassium persulfate or sodium persulfate in the bottom of the container ,2 beneath the disks or diaphragms 5 and 6. After a saturated'so-. Y lution of sodium hydroxid is formed, the

formaldehyde containing mixture in the bottom of the container 2 is attacked. In this process of forming the solution, heat is gen-- erated and by the reaction of the solution on the formaldehyde compound, added heat is generated, the combined heat being more than suflicient to sustain or keep up the chemical reaction. The formaldehyde is thereby decomposed and combines with the sodium or potassium in the hydroxid used,

- bonate and evolving hydrogen.

forming sodium carbonate or potassium car- At the same time the potassium persulfate is decomposed, potassium sulfate is formed, the oxygen is I liberated and the oxygen evolved oxydlizes the hydrogen given ofi, sulfuric acid being formed also. The chemical reaction taking place is illustrated by the following partial and complete equations:

I 0; H.HCO 2NaOH=Na2CO 2H a. (Formaldehyde 2Sodium hydroxld==Sodium carbonate 2Hydrogen 2K S O 2H 0=2K SO 02; (2Potassium persnlfate 2Water=2Potassium sulfate 5 O y (c; 2H O =2H O. (o (2Hydrogen Oxygen, 2Water). (d) CH O 2NaOH 2H O 2K S 0 2K SO Na CO 211 80 2H O. (d) (Formaldehyde 2Sodlum hydroxid 2Water 2P0- tasslum persulfate=2Potassium sulfate Sodium carbonate 2Sulfuric acid 2Watei) From the above equations it is apparent that no formaldehyde gas is liberated, but when, as in my improved compound, an excess of formaldehyde is present, under the influence of the heat generated by the reaction. and in 'the presence of the sulfuric acid formed in the reaction, which converts the formaldehyde into trioxy methylene (C11 0) this excess formaldehyde will be converted into gaseous formaldehyde as is shown by the following equation:

' zxes o8 211.0 gpaon CHzO onto- I (I H.HCO 2Na0H=NaeC0e 2H (I (Formaldehyde 2Sodium hydroxld= Sodium carbonate ZHgdrogen) (II) 2CH O 2KMn =2CH O 0 K Mn0 Mn0 '(II) (2Formaldehyde 2Potassium permanganate 2Foi-maldehyde Oxygen Potassium manganate Manganese dioxid III) 2H,; 0 2CH 0=2H 0 2CH 0. III) 2Hgdrogen Oxygen 2Formaldehyde 2Water Formaldehyde). a (IV) The complete reaction is shown by the equation 3CH 0 2Na0H 2KMn0,= 1

, ,Na GOe K Mn0 MnO 213 0 2011 0 or (3Fo'rmaldehyde 2Sodium hydroxid 2Potassium per-.

manganate- Sodium carbonate Potassium manganate Manganese dioxid 2Water 2Formaldehyde) L r This latter compound leaves a muddy theformaldehyda; I q

appreciated by those skilled in the art. By

7 the use of my improved compound or its equivalent, the use and necessity of an open lamp having a naked flame is avoided and overcome and the danger of fire is prevented. The formaldehyde is readily volatiliz'ed or .gasified and the disinfecting, fumigating or deodorizing operation is easily carried out by any one so that lack of skill in handling the packaged compound will not prevent its effective use. By packaging the materials in the manner disclosed and claimed, the compound can be shipped and stored in readiness for use at any time.

Changes in the ingredients and the proportions thereof may be made, as has been pointed out, without departing from my invention. Instead of packaging the mixture of formaldehyde and potassium or sodium persulfate with the sodium hydroxid, the sodium hydroxid may be kept separate therefrom, and when used may be mixed with Water to form a saturated solution which is poured upon the formaldehyde containing mixture to promote the reaction and obtain the heat necessary to liberate the gaseous formaldehyde.

The hydroxids ofthe chemicals used may be replaced by the oxids or peroxids thereof.

Any hydroxyl forming alkali metal may be used with the mixture of formaldehyde and persulfate in causing the reaction and various other changes may be made within the scope of the appended claims.

-I claim 1. The method of generating pure formaldehyde gas without oxidation of formaldehyde and evolution of formic acid, which consists in reacting upon' a mixture of paraformaldehyde and a persulfate, with a hydroxyl forming alkali metal. v

2. The method of generating pure formaldehyde gas without oxidation of formaldehyde and evolution of formic acid, which consists in reacting with a solution of a hydroxyl forming alkali metal upon a mixture of substantially equal parts of para formaldehyde and a persulfate.

3. The method'of generating pure formaldehyde gas without oxidation of formaldehyde and evolution of formic acid which consists in reacting with a solution of sodium hydroxid upon a mixture of paraformaldehyde and potassium or sodium persulfate. I

5. The method of generating pure formaldehyde gas without oxidation of for-' maldehyde and evolution of formic acid so maldehyde gas without oxidation of forwhich consists in reacting with a solution of sodium hydroxid upon a mixture of substantially equal parts of paraformaldehyde and potassium or sodium persulfate.-

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand.

HENRY ANHALTZER. Witnesses: c

- WILLIAM B. WHARTON,

R. D. LI'ITLE. 

